Cairngorms Solo Wild Camp - Aviemore to Blair Atholl via Braeriach Cairn Toul Traverse
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- Опубликовано: 2 авг 2024
- A solo hiking and wild camping trip via Braeriach Cairn Toul Traverse to the West of Lairig Ghru in the Cairngorms National Park, a short bank holiday weekend trip with my 3F UL XPAC Backpack and my trusty 3F Lanshan.
The Aviemore to Blair Atholl route in total was 67km or 42 miles with 2000 metres gained. I camped for 2 nights and completed the trip in just over 2 days.
Day 1: Train to Aviemore before setting off on the route. Climbed up Braeriach (1296m) and continued the traverse to Carn na Criche and Falls of Dee before pitching up just North of Cairn Toul. 21km and 1200m climbed
Day 2: Continued the traverse, climbed Cairn Toul (1291m) and Devil's Point (1004m), before descending down and following River Dee and River Tilt. Camped South of Falls of Tarf. 32km and 900m climbed
Day 3: Hiked out through Glen Tilt to Blair Atholl train station. 16km and 150m climbed.
00:00 Day 1: Aviemore to Cairn Toul
06:47 Day 2: Cairn Toul to Glen Tilt
14:18 Day 3: Glen Tilt to Blair Atholl
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This video and GPX is only a recording and report of my trip and is not to be used as a guide or route by others.
GPX Files that I Recorded: bit.ly/AviemoreBlairAtholl
These are affiliate links:
GPS Watch Used For Recording GPX: amzn.to/2HMn6ny
Tent - 3F Lanshan 1: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_AXwfDe
Sleeping bag - AegisMax Wind Hard Tiny Quilt: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_A7czpQ
Sleeping mat - OEX Fulcrum EV: bit.ly/2LNW3e8
Backpack - 3F UL XPAC Backpack: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_AZN1jw
Full Gear List on Lighterpack: lighterpack.com/r/hbmne6
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Instagram: / itsrichardcheng
Filming and photography gear that I use (these are affiliate links):
Main Camera: amzn.to/2vcrusq
Microphone: amzn.to/2LLfvgb
Phone: amzn.to/2KIF0yf
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Music by (In Order):
Scott Buckley - Patagonia (CC BY 4.0) www.scottbuckley.com.au/libra...
souKo - Parallel (CC BY 3.0)
/ parallel
Punch Deck - Dream 13 (Instrumental Mix) (CC BY 3.0)
/ dream-13-instrumental-mix
Chris Wordman - Beyond the Dawn (CC BY 3.0)
/ beyond-the-dawn-instru...
PeriTune - PV_Emotional (CC BY 3.0)
/ pv_emotional
Scott Buckley - Freedom (CC BY 4.0)
www.scottbuckley.com.au/libra...
This page contains affiliate links which means at no additional cost to you, I may receive a small commission for purchases made via these links which goes to help me in making more videos and to support this channel
#ultralight #wildcamping #cairngorms
Just tried to turn my camera on...AND IT WORKS! The lens cover gets stuck when powering on so I have to give it some help using my fingers, but hey, it's working and not water damaged!
Good pace, thanks for sharing :)
Thanks Gary
This is awesome mate really enjoyed watching
Thank you very much Bob
awesome video! always great to see what adventures you have been on
Thanks Lacing Trails! It's a pleasure to share my adventures
Really enjoyed that video mate. I am doing that exact same walk next week with a friend after being on lockdown for so long and I cannot wait until I go. Incredible views up there.
Thanks Stephen, I hope you enjoy your walk. I’m also looking forward to going out on camping trips soon 😄
I enjoyed the video. Thanks for sharing your trip. Nice to hear your camera was fine and im looking forward for more of your videos in the future
Thank you Eugene
This is a fantasic documentary of your hike! I have been plotting and planning a route from Aviemore to Blair Atholl offline but then bumped into this video whilst researching online. You've basically done the hardwork for me. haha! I love how light your baseweight is. Mine sits around 10-12kg. Going to try it in August, and this video has hyped me up!. Can't wait!
Thank you, good luck with you hike in August
How inspiring was that?!?! Gotta admire you for happily solo camping in the absolute middle of nowhere! Thank you also for the reminder re midges. I'm planning a hike in Strathconon next year but aiming for May or September, to avoid them. Great video, thank you so much.
Thanks Philip, hope you have a midge free trip next year!
What a beautiful country.
Scotland is amazing, wonderful landscapes
Hi Richard, great video, just came across it and recognised your face straight away. My wife and I met you somewhere along the traverse near Cairn Toul. What a day that was! Good channel, will keep me occupied for a few evenings, cheers from across the Forth in Fife 👍
Hi James 👋🏻 I think I remember coming across you, what a small world that you came across the video! Hope you’re keeping well and maybe we’ll bump into each other again in the near future
Really nice video.
Thank you Will
I'm really happy to have found your channel Richard. I was agreeing with you as you spoke about exploring more for a better place to pitch and you found it. Pretty far out apart from the midges. You certainly covered ground but amid awesome scenes. They say awe is good for us and no doubt you got back buzzing. Fantastic. All the best - stay safe. Mark
Thanks Mark, was a brilliant but tiring trip, especially that second day!
@@RichardCheng Hey Richard a real pleasure. I've got more of yours in my play list. Peace bro!
Great video! Planning a trip there myself, but it will be a couple years since I'm coming from the states.
Thanks Scott. You’ll have a great time when the trip happens 😄
This was another epic trip mate and you were proper going for it much respect!! Cheers mate
Thanks Jodz! Had to keep up the pace to get back to work on Tuesday 🙈
@@RichardCheng hope you do a return hike as them mountains were stunning....
Definitely on my list to return to Lairig Ghru and the summits on the east
Hi Richard :-) Yet another amazing video with stunning views*You are absolutely wonderful at explaining & capturing the terrain, the conditions & physical trials.Thank you so much for taking the time to take us with you* ps-I live in the heart of the city but could not get away,as I was waiting for my Lanshan to arrive. Wishing you many more happy travels :-)
Thanks nseight for your kind words. Hope your Lanshan arrives soon and happy adventures
@@RichardCheng :-) You are very welcome.Yes,my tent arrived 2 days ago :-) recently I had asked you about using silnet or seamgrip.Wishing you a lovely day*
Sorry your comment for caught in the span filter due to RUclips recognising your comments with (.) as links. I've replied to that comment but let me know if that doesn't answer your question
Great stuff. Regards
Thank you very much
Hi Richard, good short movie, I enjoyed watching and it could be really helpful to someone planning this trip. I have done lower version of the trip and went via Tilt, Geldie and Feshie on my bike with my dog last summer.
Thanks, it’s a fantastic route with a train station on both ends which makes it a lot easier to plan logistically
That is some effort! Great video, hoping to do the braeriach traverse with a wild-camp if things get better in summer! Thanks for sharing 👍🏔
Thank you, the ridge is stunning. Fingers crossed for summer 2021, I am also looking forward to being able to go camping again
That’s a great trek in a lovely place. Was up there the last few weeks walking/camping myself. That Lanshan is certainly doing you proud. 👍👍👍👍 (hope camera is ok)
Hi Del, the camera survived and it's resurrected. I've tried smidge, DEET and other commercial repellents and none have worked for me so far frustratingly!
I don't think I've ever had a deep sleep while camping. I think the minimum times I've woken up during a camping trip is 4! Great content and I hope you are back vlogging soon. Will subscribe and check your other stuff out. ATB, Monty.
Thanks Monty. That’s a lot of times to wake up! Hoping that we’re able to go out and camp soon, missing the outdoors!
Awesome channel bro 😍
Thank you!
Nice scenery, the Lanshan seems to be holding up OK.
The Lanshan has done very well, the conditions this trip didn’t really challenge it
great views on the hike and some excellent pace.. those little set challenges certainly work. hope your camera survives!
Thanks! Breaking everything down certainly makes a larger target more manageable. I haven't turned on the camera yet but it's been drying for 10 days. Fingers crossed!
Superb video. Going for a 5 dayer with a mate in a few weeks. Inspiring stuff. Thanks.
Thanks Sim. Hope you enjoy your 5 day trip, what’s your planned route?
@@RichardCheng We are starting from Blair Atholl, heading north then deep into the Cairngorms and heading east towards Braemar where we will finish.
Sounds amazing, fingers crossed for good weather
@@RichardCheng Thanks. Look forward to seeing more of your great videos. All the best.
Awesome man, I was wondering if we'd see another video. You ever think of hitting the USA for some backpacking?
I would love to go on some of the hikes in the States! John Muir Trail is high on my to do list
Yeah boyyyyyyy
👍🏻👍🏻👊🏻
An enjoyable video and some great links to equipment, Richard. Recently bought a rather expensive Thermarest sleeping mat which seemed dear although on sale. Had I seen your video earlier, I might have given your fulcrum mat a try. It's a cm thicker and less than half the cost. Cheers for the super video.
Thanks Mike. I had issues with leaking air with the 2017 OEX Fulcrum but GoOutdoors replaced it with the 2018 version for free and this one's holding up perfectly
@@RichardCheng Seems fair that they replaced the mat. I noticed the mixed reviews on your link with a number of people having the same leaking air problems and others happy with the product.
Whilst I can't vouch for the quality of the product, I can vouch for the warranty if you get a faulty one that doesn't hold air. I took mine in after 8 months or so and they offered a full refund or replacement to the new model
@@RichardCheng That's great to hear, Richard. I live in Slovakia and buy a lot of my kit from the UK. Unfortunately at present, the shop where you bought the mat does not ship internationally.
That's a shame. OEX is the store's own brand so they're unlikely to be available elsewhere
Very nice view of that river (Dee?). Pity about your camera falling!
I also had a lot of condensation problems with my lanshan1p. This summer I've switched to a lanshan 2p and it was so much better. But, yeah, it's heavier (1,19 kg).
I also like to eat whilst walking, but don't do it anymore, since I've started to hike with trekking poles. Hands busy.
It seems the trade off of a few hundred grams may be worth not worrying as much about condensation!
The river is probably River Tilt as I was walking through Glen Tilt when my camera fell
I'm getting a lot of practice holding the trekking poles in one hand through all the vlogging, so switching to holding food isn't much of a difference
@@RichardCheng thank you!
Great video Richard, thanks. Hope the camera is OK. I understand 3f ul are releasing a very light single layer Lanshan 2.
Thanks David, I've not tried to turn the camera on yet...Schrodinger's Camera? If it hasn't been turned on yet is it broken or not?
I'll keep an eye out of the single layer version but I'm not convinced it'll be suitable in the UK. My single layer NatureHike Taga 2 is definitely worse at dealing with condensation compared to the Lanshan 1
Richard Cheng Quite a lot of advice on the net as to what to do, including keeping the camera turned off and removing battery and memory card. It appears to be a common occurrence. Maybe worth talking to your Sony service centre before turning it on.
Cheers David. First thing I did was to remove the battery and SD card. The camera was still recording after I took it out of the water so hopeful that it's working still now it's dried out (better not have jinxed it!)
How long have you live in Scotland? Love the video and the style of your channel could be nice to collaborate?... ha.. I relate to the experiences your talking about. Your video inspires me to explore Scotland again by foot, hopefully when the quarantine time is over be nice to visit. :) Great videos keep it up 🙂👍
I’ve lived in Scotland for a couple of years now, would love to look at doing something when the current situation eases
@@RichardCheng ha agreed... Traveling around at this current climate isn't so fun... 😉
awesome video! When are you going to do a review of your backpack?
Hey Marco, I've been working on the review since getting back from the Cairngorms. The 3F backpack review will be my next upload
@@RichardCheng thx!! Looking forward for it!
Great video! 👍 A question please : are the routes well marked? Are navigation skills required? I am thinking about doing the trail from Braemar to Aviemore. Thank you
Hi Allen, the route I took is not way marked and navigation skills are definitely recommended
Another great video, thanks! Wondering if you sprayed your tent and clothes with Permethrin, and if so, does it work on the midges?
Thanks Dano. I've not tried Permethrin spray. Does it work well?
@@RichardCheng I bought some but haven't used it yet so can't say, but I've seen several RUclips videos on it and it seems to work well.
May have to try it next summer. I've tried a lot of commercial repellents and none have worked so far!
Great video with awesome views
How you liking that aegismax quilt?
Hey Ron, thank you. I like the AegisMax quilt, it packs down nicely, it's warm enough in 3+ seasons and it's at a competitive price point. Having said that I do like my synthetic quilt now I've used them, no worrying about it getting damp or wet
Richard Cheng What kind is the synthetic quilt?
Hi Susan I have the GramXpert eLite quilt. It's in my lighterpack for some of the other trips (Fisherfield for example)
Loving these vids, that tent is looking good for trying my ultralight set up.. What sleeping bag/quilt do you use? Looking for something that's super compact and really warm
Thank you Pete! All of the gears I use in every trip is in the description. I switch between my AegisMax down quilt and GramXpert synthetic quilt depending on the conditions
@@RichardCheng oh silly me ha, thanks man, I'll have a look, think you are one of the very few ultralight guys about in Scotland that I've seen so far, the American folks are obsessed with it. Thanks again
No worries Pete, my descriptions are quite long so it's easy to miss all the additional info hiding in there somewhere. Yeah agreed that most UK folks are more traditional than ultralight, I guess part of that may be due to the lack of long distance thru hiking in the UK? I still enjoy going as light I can though
@@RichardCheng definitely, when you look at trails they have out there, like the PCT, AT, CDT and what ever else there is pretty epic for them, for me it's just to lower my weight so I can tick off some more munros, done some wild camping this year, but more comforts in my 48l pack.. But going to get a lighter 38l and shed some weight so I can go a little faster haha, loving the ikea pack clever idea
Love my 46L Exos but it's still too big for an extended weekend trip with my current gear!
Hey Richard great video will be camping in the cairngorms myself soon quick question did you just bottle the water from the streams and drink or did you use any kind of filter? Thanks
Hi James, I use a Sawyer mini filter for my water for drinking
@@RichardCheng Thankyou very much so many options available.
Yeah, there are lots of water filters and water purification methods. The Sawyer Mini is on the slow side, but it’s convenient and it works well for one person (me)
What steps do you take to plan your routes? like is there a specific app or map you use?
I use OS maps and plan the routes within Suunto’s Movescount webapp then upload the routes to my watch and phone
is there any way to get that sleeping pad in the US
Hi Jarrett not to my knowledge unless you had a friend who can ship it to you or you ordered to a third party who then ship it on to you